Bolt holding tool



June 18, 1963 c. J. WISE BOLT HOLDING TOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1961 INVENTOR COY J'. W l S E ATTORNEY June 18, 1963 c. J. WISE 3,094,020

BOLT HOLDING TOOL Filed June 13, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR l5 COY J'. WISE BY v (Z/MV 02am ATTORNEY June 18, 1963 c. J. WISE 3,094,020

BOLT HOLDING TOOL Y Filed June 1-3, 1961 0 s sheets-sheet s ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,094,020 BOLT HOLDING TOOL Coy J. Wise, Rte. 2, Box 1590, Vale, Oreg. Filed June 13, 1961, Ser. No. 116,758 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-13) This invention relates to a novel form of device for holding bolt heads to prevent the bolt from turning while applying or removing a nut.

The main object of the invention is to provide a tool formed from a pair of cross members, said tool embodying a plurality of spaced gripping elements at least two of which are for-med on one jaw member of one element, while another gripping element is carried by the other member to apply a force and a gripping action intermediate the areas engaged by the spaced gripping elements of the first member.

Another object of the invention is to provide gripping jaws for engaging and holding a bolt head, the gripping jaws projecting below the rigid head members and having arcuate inwardly projecting terminal portions capable of projecting beneath the head of a bolt to be associated therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bolt holder including a pair of cross members, the cross members having enlarged rigid head portions from which arcuate gripping elements depend.

Another object of the invention is to provide the cross members with handle portions which are capable of being locked together firmly and securely after the gripping elements are forced into engaging position with the bolt head so as to leave an operators hands free while removing a nut.

A further object of the invention is to incorporate at one end of the cross members an inwardly projecting pin having an enlarged head portion and capable of use for recessing areas about a bolt head to permit the application of the arcuate gripping points of the assembly.

These and other objects of the invention will more clearly hereinafter appear by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the instant specification and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the invention showing the device applied to a bolt head, the latter being shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the tool showing the side embodying the pin structure;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the opposite side of the tool from that shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the opposite side of the tool from that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail showing the hammer-like pin structure driven into position to form a recess for a gripping jaw; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail of an end elevation of the tool showing the gripping jaws in position.

The invention embodies a pair of opposed cross members, the first or top cross member as shown in FIG. 1 including an elongated shank or handle 1 and an enlarged relatively flat upper portion 2. The shank 1 and the enlarged flat portion 2 are separated by a flattened area formed with an enlarged transverse slot 3, the slot being defined by side walls 4 and 5 and end walls 6 and 7. The upper flat portion 2 diverges outwardly to provide a relatively wide area 8 through which projects a pivot pin or rivet 9 which forms a connecting medium with the other cross member, as will be more fully hereinafter described. The enlarged upper portion 8 has an offset shank 8 terminating in a head portion 10, the head portion 10 being relatively heavy in structure to accommodate a blow which might be applied by a hammer or other tool. The outer end portion of the head portion 10 terminates in a depending inwardly turned arcuate nose1-1 formed with a relatively sharp inner edge portion .12, this nose portion having its arcuate bottom area capable of insertion slightly beneath the outer periphery of the bolt head A, as best shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 3 it will be seen that the lower or second cross member includes an elongated handle portion 14 terminating in a blade area 15 at its lower extremity and the upper part of this second cross member is provided with a relatively wide flat portion defined by side walls 16 and 17, upper \wall port-ion 18, and lower wall portion 19. Within this relatively large fiat portion which is generally rectangular in form is provided a relatively large opening defined at its bottom portion by wall '20 and at its upper portion by a wall defined in part by fingers 21 and 2 2, which define three parallel slots 24, 25 and 26, these slots having a transverse dimension capable of receiving the body of the pin or rivet 9 to provide for the cross members a pivotal adjustment permitting relative lateral displacement between the jaw members as may be required by the dimension of the bolt upon which the device is to be used.

The head portion 30 is of greater length than the head portion 10 of the other jaw member and embodies a relatively heavy blow-receiving area at its outer side. The inner face of the head portion 30 is provided with the gripping faces 31 and 32 defined at their inner faces by the recess 33. The gripping faces 31 and 32 include the sharpened edge portions 34 and 35 and depending arcuate nose portions 36 and 37 (FIG. 6). These nose portions 36 and 37 project slightly inward towards an axis of a bolt head so as to center the gripping forces with respect to the opposed gripping nose 12. of the other cross member. The gripping nose 12 is positioned and shaped to direct its gripping force medially of the space between the sharpened edge portions 34 and 35. The nose portions 36 and 37 depend below the head and include arcuate inwardly projecting terminals.

When the tool is assembled and the gripping portions are forced into engagement with a bolt head, as by the application of impact to the enlarged head portions or by compressing the handles towards each other, these parts are then retained in fixed permanent position by the use of the rack arm 40 having teeth 41 which engage the tooth formed by the angular face 42 at the bottom edge of the slot 43 and through which the rack 40 projects. The rack 40 is mounted on the pivot pin 44 which extends transversely of the upper member, as best shown in FIG. 2. At the lower extremity of the handle 1 of the upper cross member there is provided a pin assembly 45 including an inwardly angularly extending extremity 46 and a flat head portion 47, this head portion being available for recessing the wood or metal material B about the bolt head for receiving the gripping extremities if such is deemed necessary by the operator.

It is customary for a bolt to include an enlarged rounded head having a flat bottom surface for lying flush upon a metal or wood surface and the purpose of the present tool is to provide a structure in which the depending points can be driven into the metal or wood structure and below the rounded head of the bolt, as shown in FIG. 6, to insure rigid gripping of the bolt to prevent its rotation when the nut for the bolt is applied to or removed therefrom. In order that a proper application of force may be made by the tool, the pivot pin for the cross member is so constructed and arranged that these cross members may be laterally adjusted for properly position ing the gripping jaws with respect to the bolt head. When the depending gripping portions of the jaws are in position, as in FIG. 6, the handles can be compressed and the ratchet member caused to engage the pawl or tooth to secure the bolt head in fixed position. Obviously the ratchet provides means whereby the hands of an operator are free for manipulation of the nut on the bolt.

In instances where the material to which the bolt is applied is of such a character that the depending hook portions of the gripping members can not be readily ap plied to the bolt head, then the pin 45 at the end of handle 1 can be driven into the material as shown in FIG. 5 to provide a recess for the gripping members. In many instances such preliminary recessing may not be necessary as the depending hooks can be forced into position by appropriate hammer blows to the thickened portions of the jaws of the tool.

What I claim is:

A bolt holding tool comprising a pair of cross members hingedly connected together, a pivot member forming the hinge for the cross members, said pivot member being carried by one of the cross members and the other cross member being formed with a plurality of aligned longitudinally extending slots, said slots having open ends merging into a transverse opening, whereby the pivot member can be moved along the opening and selectively positioned in said slots to permit lateral adjustment of the cross members, said cross members including handle portions at one end and jaw portions at the other end, the

jaw portions at one end of one of said handles including an outer enlarged laterally projecting head and an inner sharp transversely extending straight gripping edge portion, said straight gripping edge depending substantially below the enlarged portion and terminating at its lower end in an inwardly curved tapered pointed terminal, the jaw portion of the other cross member being provided with an outer laterally enlarged projecting head portion and a pair of parallel spaced straight transversely extending inner sharpened gripping edges, said spaced gripping edges extending below the enlarged head portion and terminating in inwardly projecting arcuate sharpened ends, said last-named gripping edges being so positioned that the single straight gripping portion of one head member will be directed intermediate said spaced gripping portions of the other head member and all of the gripping edges of the jaw portions being parallel to provide a threepoint contact for a bolt head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wagner June 10, 1952 

